Manoel Nunes (March 7, 1895 – May 31, 1977), also known as Neco, was an association football midfielder. With great skill and tenacity, he was the first idol of Corinthians, being the first player to get a statue in the team's gardens (in 1929). As of 2006, Neco is the player who played the longest for Corinthians: 17 years. Called often to the Brazilian national team, he won two

South American Championships South is one of the cardinal directions or compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both east and west. Etymology The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Proto-Germanic ''*sunþaz' ...

1919 Events January * January 1 ** The Czechoslovak Legions occupy much of the self-proclaimed "free city" of Pressburg (now Bratislava), enforcing its incorporation into the new republic of Czechoslovakia. ** HMY ''Iolaire'' sinks off the c ...

(team's top scorer) and

1922 Events January * January 7 – Dáil Éireann (Irish Republic), Dáil Éireann, the parliament of the Irish Republic, ratifies the Anglo-Irish Treaty by 64–57 votes. * January 10 – Arthur Griffith is elected President of Dáil Éirean ...

(top scorer). Playing for Corinthians, he won the Paulista League eight times as a player (being top scorer in 1914 and 1920) and once as a coach (1937). Neco had a quick temper and frequently got involved in fights; his second stint as a manager occurred because he was suspended as a player for 18 games when he beat a referee. He started in the third team of Corinthians at the age of 16 and joined the first team in 1913 (the first year Corinthians participated in official competitions). In 1915, Corinthians did not play official games because of political issues and almost went bankrupt; this year, Neco played friendlies for Corinthians and the official games for Mackenzie. During this time, he broke into the Corinthians building to retrieve books that the landlord had locked inside due to non-payment of the rent. After scoring two goals playing for Brazil against Uruguay in the 2x2 tie valid for the 1919 South American Championship in Rio de Janeiro, Neco returned to his regular job as a carpenter in São Paulo and was fired for missing work.

Statistical career overview

Player

Teams: * 1917–1922: Brazil (14 matches / 9 goals / official internationals only) * 1913–1914: SC Corinthians Paulista * 1915: AA Mackenzie College * 1916–1930: SC Corinthians Paulista Honours: *

Copa América The Copa América ( en, America Cup) or CONMEBOL Copa América, known until 1975 as the South American Football Championship (''Campeonato Sudamericano de Fútbol'' in Spanish and ''Campeonato Sul-Americano de Futebol'' in Portuguese), is the t ...

Campeonato Paulista The Campeonato Paulista Série A1, commonly known as Campeonato Paulista, nicknamed Paulistão, is the top-flight professional association football, football league in the Brazilian States of Brazil, state of São Paulo (state), São Paulo. Run b ...

: 1914, 1916, 1922, 1923, 1924, 1928, 1930 Top Scorer: *

(4 goals) *

: 1914 (12 goals) *

: 1920 (24 goals)

Coach

Clubs: * SC Corinthians Paulista : 1920, 1927, 1937–38 Honours: *

: 1937

External links

Profile at cbf.com.br
{{Authority control 1895 births 1977 deaths Footballers from São Paulo Brazilian footballers Brazil international footballers Sport Club Corinthians Paulista players Association football midfielders Brazilian football managers Sport Club Corinthians Paulista managers Copa América-winning players Association football forwards